Locking manhole cover



Oct. 16,1928.

C. 5. BROWN LOCKING MANHOLE COVER Filed Sept. 26, 192'! Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHALMERS SIMMS BROWN, or. mm oHrqAssIaNonrO BROWN m; BROWN, me, or

PATENT" 0FFICE'1,.-

LIMA, OHIO, A CORPORATION" or 01110.

LOCKING MANHOLE COVER.

' 'Application filedSeptember 26,1927. SerialNo. 222,148.

This invention relates to locking'manhole covers.

An important object of the invention 1s to provide a manhole cover having simple and novel locking means for retaining it in pos1- tion, the locking means bein readily releasable to permit the cover to be removed upon an opening in the manhole cover forfswmging the locking element to inoperative pos tion. i

A further object is to provide a manhole cover having a locking member arranged therebeneath and pivoted at its lower end to engage beneath a shoulder formed on the manhole frame, and to provide a locking ele. ment pivotally supported upon a pivot pin beneath the manhole cover and adapted to" operate the pivoted lock, the latterelement being provided'with a cutout portion through which the pivot pin referred to extends to limitthe movement of the locking member to operative and inoperative positlons.

A further ob ect is to provide a locking manhole cover adapted for use in connection I with a manhole frame having an internal annular flange foi'rming ashoulder forsupporting the manhole cover, the latterbeing provided at one side with a stationary locking member adapted to be arranged beneath the annular flange of the frame and at its opposite side with a pivoted locking member also adapted to engage the annularfiange Other objects and advantagesof themvention will be apparent during the course of the following description. H

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure 2 is a section on ure 1, I

Figure 8 is a. detail section on line 3-3 of annular flange 11 at itslowerend. -The frame is provided with an open top and an internal the cover 18.

line 22 of Fig-' annular flange12is formed integral with the frameand projects inwardly thereof a short distance beneath the top of theframe.

A manhole cover 13 is adapted to be arranged in the open end of the manhole cover and is supportedupon the flang'e 12. This covermay be provided with the usual depres sions 14 in its upper surface and is suitably braced by preferably integrallower webs 15.

At one side, the manhole cover is provided with a pair of dependingarms 16, the lower p ends of which project outwardly beneath the flange 12 and are connected ,by a transverse pin 17. The arms 16 and pin 17 are preferably formed integral with the cover, as shown.

At its opposite side, the cover'is provided with a pair of depending arms 18, the lower ends of whichare connected by a pivot pin 19. -A locking member indicated as a whole curved upper ends each provided with arouate cutout portions 23 forming shoulders 24 at the ends thereof. The arms 22 are 'COII'.

nected by a pin 25 secured thereto, as 'indicated in Figures 2 and 4.

A second pivot pin 26 is connected between the upper portions of the] arms 18, and an .75 by the numeral 20 is arr'angedbetween the operating lever 27 is mounted upon thispin.

The operating lever extends between the arms 22 of the locking member and is provided with a down-turned"portion 28 having ia slot 29 formed therein to. receive the pin 25. The operating. member 27. is provided with an arm 30 extending inwardly asuitable dis-f tancefrom the pivot pin 26, and this arm is adapted to be engaged by a suitablehooked implement (notshown) which is adapted to be'ins'erted through an'ope'ning 31 formed in a r The operation of the device is as follows:

It will be noted that when the operating parts areinthe position shownin Figure 2, the'outer'edge' of; the locking member is in clineddownwa rdly and inwardly. In placing the cover in position, the pin 17 isfirst inserted beneath the annular flange 12, whereupon the opposite side of the cover may be dropped into position.) The inclined edge of the locking member will" contact with theannular flange to be moved inwardly,

:10. to thecooll ng of the metal, thereby prov1d-.

thus permitting the cover to drop downwardly. uponthe flange 12 to beisupported. thereby. As soon as the cover is innormal.

os e t sve sh o he M1 13 will sw ng this portion of the operating member 27 downwardly, the opposite end-of the operating member swinging outwardly carrying. with it the pm 25, thus movmg the locking member 20 to the posit onshown inFigure 2 with the outer portions of the upper edges ft e rm-e 21ar ang ene ththeflange l2, Thus it willbe apparent that the cover will be secured in operative position. In orden to ,remove the cover,- a suitable hooked implement of the character referred to ,is inserted through the opening 31 andthe hook of the-implenient isengaged beneath the arm 30 whereuponthe implement be liftedto raisethe 30. This action causes the walls of the slot 29 to engagethe pin 25 and thusswing the locking member inwardly from its beneath the flange .12 where.

will prevent further movement of the operating member thus limitingithe downward; movement of the arm 30., Thus it will be apparent that thepin .25 and slot 29serveas connecting means for operating the locking memberupon actuation ofthe arm 30, andalso serve as meansfor limiting the turning movement; of the member 27. When the cover is removed, the .free endof the arm 30 will .contact with the bottom of the cover thus permittingthe latter to be removed by'pulling upwardly on the hooked implement without injuringany of the partsof the device. The structure of the stationary latch including the arms, 16 andv pin. .17, provides better casting conditions and relieves shrinkage due ing a stronger latch.

It isto beunderstood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to. be -taken as a preferred example of the same, and that variouschanges in the shape,

size, andnrrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthespirit ofthe invention or the scope. of the. subjoined claims.

I claim:

1, A loc king device for manhole covers comprising a pivoted locking member. carriedby the manhole cover, a pivot pin carried byjsaidcover, an actuating member carried by said pivot pin and adapted-to move said locking member to operative and inop- I .erativepositions, said locking member being provided w th cutout port on through which saidpivot pin is adapted'to QXtGIldl'ii) limit the swinging movement of said lockmg member. I

2; Alocking device for manhole covers comprising a locking member movable to operative and inoperative positions, a pivot pin carried; bysaid cover, an actuating member carried by said pivot pin and adapted to move saiddocking member to operative and inoperative positions, said locking member being providedwith a cutout portionhaving shoulders termed at the ends thereof with which said pivot pin is adapted to contact to limit the movement ofzsaid lockingmember.

3,"A- locking device for manhole covers comprising an. upstanding looking member pivotally connectednt its lower end to the manhole cover-and providedin its upper end with an arcuate cutout portion, a pivot pin carried by said-manhole .cover and extending through said cutout portion to contact with theends thereof to limitthe movement of said. locking member, and an actuating mem bern iounted on said pivot pin'and movable to swingsaid locking member'to operativeand inoperative positions.

4; A, locking device, for manhole covers I comprising a. pair. of depending. arms car.- r1ed by the manholecover, a, locking; device pivotallymounted atitslower end between the lower ends of said arms and provided ,in. its upper end with an arcuate OHtOUtRO-IHOII formed concentric. to its pivot, a pivot p1n'eX.-.

tendingbetween the upper portionof said arms and arranged in said cutoutpoirtion .to. engagethe ends .thereofand .limit the swinging movement ofsaid locking member, and. an actuating member mounted .on said pivot,

pin and movable to swing said locking member (cooperative and inoperative positions.

5. A. locking device. for manhole covers comprising a pair of depending arms carried by the manhole cover, a locking ClEWlCG. p1votally mounted at 1ts lower. end between the lower endsof said armsand provided in. 7

its upper endwith an arcuate cutoutportion formed. concentric to. its pivot, a pivot pin extending between]. the upper portion of said arms and arranged in said cutout por-' tion to engage the ends. thereof andv limit.

the swinging movement :of saidlocking memher, a pin carried "by said locking. member, and an actuating member mounted on said pivot pin and provided with a slotarranged substantially radially with respect to .said

said locking member,

6. A locking. device for manhole covers comprising a pair of depending ,arms. ,car ried by the manhole cover, 'aulockingfidepivot. pin and receiving thepinfcarriedby vice pivotally mounted atits lower'end b e-- ing member, a pin carried by said locking member, andan actuating member mounted on said pivot pin and provided with a slot arranged substantially radially with re spect to said pivot pin and receiving the pin carried by said locking member, said actuating member being provided at one side of the p'vot thereof with a horizontally extending weight arm movable downwardly by gravity to normally maintain said locking member in operative position.

7. Aloclring device for manhole covers comprising a pair of spaced depending arms carried by the manhole cover, a locking device pivotally mounted at its lower end between the lower ends of said arms and including a pair of spaced upstanding arms each provided in its upper end with an arcuate slot concentric with the pivot of said locking member, a pin extending between the upper portions of said depending arms and arranged in said slots to contact with the ends thereof and limit the swinging movement of said locking device, a pin extending between the arms of said locking device'above the pivot thereof, and an actuating member mounted on said pivot pin and having one end arranged between the. a ms of said looking member and provided with a slot receiving the pin mounted between the arms of said locking member, said actuating member being provided to one side of saidpivot pin with a horizontally extending weight arm movable downwardly by gravity to normally urge said locking member to opera tive position.

8. A locking device for manhole covers comprising a pair of oepending arms "carried by the manhole cover ad acent one side thereof and provided with outwardly extending lower ends, a pin connected between the lower ends of said arms, a pivoted locking-member arranged beneath the opposite side of the manhole cover, a pivot pin carried by the cover, an actuating member carried by'said pivot pin and adapted to move said locking member to operative and inoperative positions, said locking member being provided with a cutout portion through which said pivot pin is adapted to extend to limit the swinging movement of said 10ck-' ing member, the manhole cover being provided above said actuating member with an pening for-the reception of an operating tool adapted to engage said actuating member. i

9. The combination with a manhole frame having an open top and provided with an internal annular flange, and a cover adapted to be supported on said flange, of'a pair of integral depending arms carried by the cover adjacent one side thereof and pro:

vided with oppositely extending lower ends,

an integral pin connected between the lower 'ends of said arms and arranged beneath said annular flange, a pivoted locking member arranged beneath the opposite side of said cover, and having a portion adapted to engage beneath said annular flange, a pivot pin carried by said cover above said locking member, an actuating member carried by said pivot pin and adapted to move said locking member to operative and inoperative positions, said locking member being provided with a cutout portion through which said pivot ,pin is adapted to extend to limit the swinging movement of said locking memher, the cover being provided above said actuating-member with an opening fort-he reception of an operating tool adapted to engage said actuating member.

CHALMERS S. BROWN. 

